Sequestration's Unkindest Cut

Sequestration's Unkindest Cut

Sequestration's Unkindest Cut: Housing Assistance

Sequestration is largely designed to prevent cuts in targeted anti-poverty programs, but the Department of Housing and Urban Development's various housing assistant programs are an exception. As Douglas Rice shows for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, sequestration means a large cut in these programs for low-income families and will push nominal spending down to roughly fiscal year 2010 levels.

Unfortunately for needy families, there are more people in the United States than there were in 2013, and nominal rents are higher in 2013 than they were in 2010. That means people are going to need to go without.